Undergraduate Assessment Program

The mission of the Duke University Teacher Preparation Programs is to prepare liberally educated, culturally responsive, and reflective teachers who are equipped for leadership roles in education.

Philosophy

The philosophical commitments undergirding and reflected in the Unit’s vision, mission, and conceptual framework can be summarized as follows:

  1. We believe every child has a fundamental right to a quality, respectful education. In keeping with that belief, we expect teachers to be thoughtful and critical in their engagement with broad cultural discourses and advocates for students constituted both at the center and on the margins of schooling practices.
  2. We believe that teachers are professionals and that Education must reclaim its status alongside the other historically recognized “professions” (Divinity, Law, and Medicine). We resist efforts to reduce teachers to technicians and students to cogs in a social machine; rather we expect teachers to claim their roles as public intellectuals working in the service of society. 
  3. We believe an effective democracy is dependent on a thoughtful and well-educated citizenry. While individual betterment and a competitive workforce are worthwhile goals, our work is dedicated to a larger vision for freedom balanced with engagement, prosperity balanced with equity, and compassion balanced with empowerment.

Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

  1. Candidates exhibit the characteristics of professional teachers and emerging leaders.
  2. Candidates understand the needs of diverse learners and model the behaviors of culturally responsive teachers.
  3. Candidates demonstrate core content knowledge in the academic areas for which they seek licensure.
  4. Candidates believe all students can learn and use a variety of effective instructional methods to positively impact student learning.
  5. Candidates practice regular reflection to increase their effectiveness in the classroom and to grow and thrive in their profession.